Mobile Phones Buying Guide

Chances are you’ve already gone through a few handsets in your time. For the basics like phone calls and text messages, any phone will do, but mobile technology has advanced to the stage that phones can do pretty much anything a laptop can – and more.

Smartphones make up the upper echelon of mobile devices and offer a raft of functionality beyond basic communications like email access, web browsing, music and video playback and satellite navigation.

There’s a fine line between smartphones and high-end feature phones; the main way to tell the difference is by looking at the operating system it uses. Smartphones run operating systems just like a computer, which means you can install a wide variety of applications that extend the device’s capabilities. You can technically install programs on many non-smartphones too, but the selection is far more limited.

Smartphone platforms

When shopping for a mobile, hardware design and features are usually the top two priorities. If it’s a smartphone, though, it’s also worth checking what operating system it runs. Not only does this affect the sorts of programs you can install on it, but it also affects the phone’s graphical user interface, which is what you see on the screen when you’re using it.

Each smartphone platform has a slightly different style of menus and navigation, and some are easier to use than others. Depending on the phones you’ve used previously, it may take a little while before you’re comfortable with the new controls and system layout.

There are six main smartphone platforms to look out for: Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Android, Series 60 and Palm OS. Series 60 and Windows Mobile are the two platforms found on the largest variety of smartphones, followed by BlackBerry and Android, which is rapidly gaining ground. The iPhone OS is only available on the original iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, while the Palm OS has all but been discontinued to make room for Palm’s new WebOS, which is yet to be launched in any smartphones in Australia.

What you need and more

Contrary to what some may believe, the exact definition of what constitutes a smartphone is as about as easy to nail down as cake is to a table. In the broadest sense, a smartphone can be simply defined as a mobile phone that offers functionality beyond that of a cellular capacity: that is to say, one that allows more than sending/receiving messages and making/receiving calls. But the problem with that particular definition is that it’s far too broad and basically applies to every mobile phone on the market today that allows users to listen to music, play games or even perform basic calculations.

The basics

First and foremost, a smartphone runs off an operating system, such as Palm OS or Windows Mobile. The next thing to take into account is that a smartphone will have access to software functionality that makes it more akin to a pocket computer. Some manner of QWERTY keyboard (miniature version of a computer keyboard), be it physical or by way of digital touchscreen, and web access are a given. You’ll also find that smartphones are capable of sending/receiving emails, and more sophisticated models support the ability to streamline access to multiple email accounts (including business email).

More than just an iPhone

The iPhone may well be one of the most renowned smartphones on the market today, but it’s by no means the only option. The iPhone and other smartphones are a step above your average mobile phone. You should feel confident in the knowledge that you know exactly how a smartphone can ascend beyond the realm of gimmicky gadget and cement itself in the category of ‘must-own’ device.

More than a communication device

Smartphone owners also have access to a powerful and practical tool. Smartphones usually sport sizable internal hard drives and/or memory expansion ports that encourage users to store large amounts of meaningful content on their phones. This content can take the form of high-fidelity music, videos (including movies and TV shows), pictures and even advanced software that allows smartphones to act as mobile computers of sorts. Depending on what type of software a particular smartphone supports will determine the extent of its functionality. Such functionality can include the ability to review, edit and create business documents or play advanced games, all on the convenience of a single device.

QWERTY vs touchscreen

One of the earliest decisions that should be made when determining which smartphone is right for you is the type of keypad you prefer. The traditional physical keypad is gradually being superseded by the full-fledged touchscreen system, which makes use of navigation by interacting directly with the screen. Both variants have their pros and cons. Keypads are often faster and more forgiving in terms of accuracy but take up precious screen real-estate and often use keys that are too small.  Touchscreens can take some getting used to and can be inaccurate, particularly for those with larger digits, but generally make use of bigger on-screen keys and can often be used in either portrait or landscape mode.

Practicality: students

A lot of students choose to invest in laptops because they want to be able to maximise their study potential while on the move. Purchasing a smartphone can help to replace many of the functions that you would use a laptop for. Transferring files, reviewing and editing documents, viewing important research material and even listening to recorded lectures are all achievable from a smartphone. Couple this with extended email capabilities and the ability to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots, and you can have one less cumbersome item to have to lug around with your textbooks.

Practicality: businesspeople

One of the places where the smartphone shines most is in its business capabilities. Users are able to configure their smartphones to access multiple email accounts, so it’s easier to keep track of mail while on the go. Comprehensive mobile software suites such as Microsoft Office Mobile allow an intuitive way for businesspeople to keep on top of reviewing, editing or creating word documents, spreadsheets and even PowerPoint presentations. Better yet, smartphones are handy tools for keeping business and pleasure separate, with contact management systems that can keep your personal contacts apart from your work contacts.

Practicality: entertainment

Perhaps the greatest feature of any smartphone is that they’re designed with play in mind, as well as work. While one can easily be kept busy with the business side of a smartphone, the entertainment options are just as impressive. Many smartphones also double as personal media playback devices, which means you can load them up with your favourite music and even TV shows and movies. You’ll also have access to all of the entertainment options offered by casual surfing through web browsers and then there’s the software element. Games and other entertainment applications are also available to be downloaded that make your smartphone a fantastic escapism device when you need a break from work.

Costly considerations

One of the main boasting points of the smartphone—namely the ability to use a variety of online functionality—is also an important consideration from a practical point of view. Download quotas that are part of every cellular network provider’s post or prepaid plans must be taken into consideration. Connecting to an internet-enabled Wi-Fi network will allow you fast internet connectivity that doesn’t count towards your smartphone plan’s download quota. However, it’s often easier and quicker to download data by way of the 3G Network, which does count towards your plan’s download quota. Be sure to take into account the included data with any post-paid plan you sign up for and monitor the size of the data you’re downloading. Sending and receiving emails has a fairly limited impact on quotas, but downloading music, games and applications to your smartphone can quickly chew up precious megabytes.